Internet radio recording, iPod sync and Audi AMI.

DominionZA

DominionZA

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Hey peeps,

So I have a new project that I am starting off on and wanted to see of any of you had any experience here that I could leverage off to save me figuring everything out (in a hurry).

What I am currently doing...

I have a 32 Micro SD plugged into my cab. On my Nexus 5 I have TuneIn Radio Pro and I record the Polish goth radio station to my phone. About 4 hours a recording.
The current plan is to convert the recording to mp3 unless I can just rename (need to test that). Then copy to the SD for the car. Sorted but a bit manual.

Tomorrow I am going to hunt down a windows app that I can set a daily schedule for recording and let it do it for me. TuneIn can do this, but I want to set this up on my PC as this is needed for me next plans.
The only prob is this is still a manual copy process to get it to the car.

My next plan...
Get the cable for the iPod connector in the car and hook up a 64Gb iPod.
Now here is where I need assistance because I don't know iDevices too well.
My car is close enough to the house to auto connect to the home wifi when I park. I want to be able to auto copy the files from my Windows server to the iPod ready for use next time I get in the car.

This way I have an ever constant changing supply of music in the cab.
1. I know it is 32Gb and could just copy all my tunes over. I want random and often new stuff.
2. I could just load TuneIn on the iPod and stream via the Afrihost MiFi that lives in the car. Problem is with weak signal areas and I have to actually use the iPod to manage anything. I want the stuff in the AMI.

Any ideas how to do this on an iPod?
 
Last edited:
Mike Smit said:
My next plan...
Get the cable for the iPod connector in the car and hook up a 64Gb iPod.
Now here is where I need assistance because I don't know iDevices too well.
My car is close enough to the house to auto connect to the home wifi when I park. I want to be able to auto copy the files from my Windows server to the iPod ready for use next time I get in the car.

This way I have an ever constant changing supply of music in the cab.
1. I know it is 32Gb and could just copy all my tunes over. I want random and often new stuff.
2. I could just load TuneIn on the iPod and stream via the Afrihost MiFi that lives in the car. Problem is with weak signal areas and I have to actually use the iPod to manage anything. I want the stuff in the AMI.

Any ideas how to do this on an iPod?
Click to expand...
iTunes wifi sync a playlist with random recordings.
 
Mike Smit said:
How do I tell my app that does the recording to hand the file to iTunes and in iTunes how do I make it pick up the added recordings and sync them to the iPod?
Click to expand...

No idea how it would work in the windows world but in OsX iTunes has a watched folder that will import anything placed in it. If your recording app dumps the recording into this folder it should find its way into iTunes automagically.

WRT syncing... if the iPod touch is plugged into power iTunes should auto sync as soon as it detects it if it's enabled.
 
bwana said:
No idea how it would work in the windows world but in OsX iTunes has a watched folder that will import anything placed in it. If your recording app dumps the recording into this folder it should find its way into iTunes automagically.

WRT syncing... if the iPod touch is plugged into power iTunes should auto sync as soon as it detects it if it's enabled.
Click to expand...

Thanks. Going to setup iTunes and scheduled recordings now and see how it goes.
The iPod will be on perm power in the car so all should be good there.

Thanks for the tips man.
 
OMG, iTunes is still as cr@p as it was the last time I used it. Why can't Apple release something that works the way the user wants it.

So, I have StationRipper up and running. I have two streams recording (one at 192kbps and the other at 320kbps). I set the output folder to the iTunes "Add to library" (or something like that) and let it go. But stupid iTunes moves the files out and into the /Music folder. This does not suit me as I am not downloading by the album and now have Music\Artist\<Track>.mp3. What a mess.
Now I am getting the recordings mixed up with my main collection and one song per Music\Artist\Unknown folder. Unknown is the album name folder iTunes creates.
All I want is for iTunes to monitor the folder and add the times to my library - without moving the files.

Will keep fiddling and see what I can get right.

Also going to try find an adapter for an Android device to hook up to the car. Would be soooooo much better. (Wishful thinking)

EDIT: Found iTunes Folder Watcher which works quite well. Adds my recordings to iTunes and places them in a playlist called iTFW New Tracks. Now I can just setup this playlist for sync with the iPod.
Getting there. Pity Apple is so backwards you have to purchase a 3rd party app to perform a basic function. Oh well - at least it's working.
Going to hit the sack now and leave my recordings to run through the night. Tomorrow I will head over to Audi to purchase the cable and get hooked up.
 
Last edited:
Mike Smit said:
OMG, iTunes is still as cr@p as it was the last time I used it. Why can't Apple release something that works the way the user wants it.

So, I have StationRipper up and running. I have two streams recording (one at 192kbps and the other at 320kbps). I set the output folder to the iTunes "Add to library" (or something like that) and let it go. But stupid iTunes moves the files out and into the /Music folder. This does not suit me as I am not downloading by the album and now have Music\Artist\<Track>.mp3. What a mess.
Now I am getting the recordings mixed up with my main collection and one song per Music\Artist\Unknown folder. Unknown is the album name folder iTunes creates.
All I want is for iTunes to monitor the folder and add the times to my library - without moving the files.
Click to expand...
Did you try telling it not to? Removing the tick in "Copy files to iTunes media folder when adding to library" might help.

Mike Smit;12814811EDIT: Found iTunes Folder Watcher which works quite well. Adds my recordings to iTunes and places them in a playlist called iTFW New Tracks. Now I can just setup this playlist for sync with the iPod. Getting there. [B said:
Pity Apple is so backwards you have to purchase a 3rd party app to perform a basic function.[/B] Oh well - at least it's working.
Going to hit the sack now and leave my recordings to run through the night. Tomorrow I will head over to Audi to purchase the cable and get hooked up.
Click to expand...
What does iTunes Folder Watcher do? :confused:
 
kianm said:
For Droid one of the few options you could try is getting a bluetooth adapter with the A2DP profile, something like this which stays plugged into Aux

HomeSpot NFC-enabled Bluetooth Audio Receiver for Car Audio http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G57CWZ8/ref=cm_sw_r_udp_awd_dL-Ktb00HFB3C
Click to expand...

Thanks for the suggestion. This unfortunately has 2 draw backs.

1. The sound system is B&O and I feel there will be a loss in quality going via A2DP. I think the car already supports A2DP based on another thread I read, but not tried it out for this reason.
2. I would have to control playback from the phone instead the AMI (Audi Music Interface).

To keep audio quality tops I could get an adapter for the iPod connector on the car that provides a 3.5mm jack to play via the headphone socket of my Nexus 5, but never bother with this because (like in 1 above) I would have to control music from my phone and lose the AMI functionality. Not an option.

bwana said:
Did you try telling it not to? Removing the tick in "Copy files to iTunes media folder when adding to library" might help.


What does iTunes Folder Watcher do? :confused:
Click to expand...

You would think so hey. That setting has absolutely zero effect on the "watch" folder. iTunes copies it to your library folder whether you like it or not.

iTunes Folder Watcher just creates the mentioned playlist, and puts the found tracks into it - without copying anything. It works pretty darned well. Another R100 odd layout for a function that should exist in iTunes. Not a killer, but grates me how controlling Apple still is.

The reason I don't want my recordings copied into the library are as follows...
1. The recording only stores the Artist and Track Name. So iTunes sticks the tracks into an album called Unknown. I will investigate this further though.
2. StationRipper can identify songs already recorded so skips duplicates. I assume the way it works is it checks for the existence in the Output folder for the station you are recording from so need to keep the tracks there.
3. Being a pile of recordings without folder names and only one track per Unknown album (ala iTunes style) would make navigation on the AMI painful. I want them all in one folder.
I could use the iTunes playlist to drive this need I suppose. Still messy though.


I am still in the discovery stage with this whole thing, so chances are that I may be able to tweak the way things work still based on what I learn going forward. Hope so anyway. I know what I want to do, just need to figure out how to make all the pieces for together nicely to give this to me.

My biggest hurdle though is getting my iPod back from daughter :rolleyes:
With my last Audi I planned on getting a third party AMI installed as the car did not have it. I picked up an iPod 4 64Gb for this purpose. I cancelled the installation at the 11th hour and gave (loaned actually) it to one of my daughters. She has had it a few months now and know she is going to be bummed with me when I tell her I need it back. Oh well.
 
StationRipper and iTunes Folder Monitor working out well so far.
Got 6 stations recording and klapping my line at an average of 500KB/s. Files are nicely name in the Artist - Trackname.mp3 format.
ITFW picks up new songs and sticks them into my iTFW New Tracks playlist in iTunes.

Only issue doing this is sometimes there is overlap in tracks from previous/next tracks. Nature of streaming from a station so nothing I can do about that. Sometime I will hunt for an intelligent MP3 trim type app that can trim off music from the start/end of a file that is less than 5 seconds and has a 1 sec or silence before the next music. Sure something like this must exist. For now I am happy to get the variety in the car and discover new music. Stuff I really enjoy I will purchase the full album from my fav MP3 site. Quality from the stations is very good and chuffed with that. Especially the one that streams at 320kbps. The B&O in the car likes that :)

I can't get the iPod cable today as Audi spares are closed so not going to rush the testing with the iPod. Instead I am going to find a way to export playlists and related songs from iTunes to a folder on my drive so I can put them onto my MicroSD. At least this way I can configure playlists and use them in the car.
Will do the iPod thing next weekend.
 
iTunes will of course let you trim fore and aft but I guess you're looking for an automated solution?

I've never been bothered about how iTunes stores it's music because I use it's front end for everything. I know photographers who insist on that whole folder structure for their images as well but, as with my music, I'm happy to let the software manage it - that's why I bought it in the first place. Everyone's got their own method though so whatever works for them. :)
 
bwana said:
iTunes will of course let you trim fore and aft but I guess you're looking for an automated solution?

I've never been bothered about how iTunes stores it's music because I use it's front end for everything. I know photographers who insist on that whole folder structure for their images as well but, as with my music, I'm happy to let the software manage it - that's why I bought it in the first place. Everyone's got their own method though so whatever works for them. :)
Click to expand...

Ye - automation is key here. When I am done with this whole thing, I don't want to lift a finger.
Record music between midnight and 08H00 daily -> Load new songs into relevant playlists in iTunes after trimming etc...
Park car -> iPod connects to wifi -> iTunes syncs.
Me happy with new music everyday for my trip to Hartees :)
 
I wrestled the iPod back from my daughter. Felt terrible.
Promised her a new one (pre-owned) in the next 2 weeks or so, just a smaller capacity.

All seems good. No hard feelings.

Going to watch the soccer tonight and play.
 
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